rituals for computer operation                     
                                                              
¨¨§§¨¨§¨§§ ---------------------------------------- §§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§ the computer is  a  very common tool  in §§¨¨¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§ the futures, and in some ways  even now. ¨§¨¨§§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§ its  job  is to do vast amounts of small §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§ calculations in a short amount of  time. ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§ most work  on the  principles  of posing ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§ the problem on  a hilbert  plane,  which §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§ is  then  folded out  of  causality,  so ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§ that   daemons  can  solve  the  problem §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§    without affecting real life. (these   ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§ daemons  are  under  contract  with  the §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§         computer manufacturer.)          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§   it's commonplace for programmers and   ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§ clerks  to pray to  the  "gods" of their §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§ computer,  or  to the  daemons doing the ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§ work,  for  a   quick  and  fault   free §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                operation.                ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§       some ubiquitous and generally      ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§    non-controversial rituals include:    §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§      --# light a scented candle #--      §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§        --# for quiet and calm #--        ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§     --# recite a mantra or other #--     ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§    --# reassuring message to make #--    §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§     --# the computer comfortable #--     ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§            --# and at ease #--           §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§     --# some like to say a brief #--     §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§     --# prayer for solace, to be #--     ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§   --# left alone during their work #--   §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§    --# offer a cup of steaming tea #--   §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§    --# or a meal to the machines #--     ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§     --# (sometimes, by fey rules, #--    §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§     --# the daemons are allowed #--      ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§       --# to respond to this) #--        §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§ ---------------------------------------- §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
           ~~~-~      ~   --~   ~           -~   ~-           
           ~      ~~     ~     ~     ¨     ~¨     ¨           
           ¨            ¨                  §      ¨           
                               ¨                              
                                                              
                                                              
           would    you    consider    code    golf           
           to    be    a     kind    of     prayer?           
           as   in,    you   make   a   convoluted,           
           intricate,   beautiful,   and    useless           
           artifact.   as  in,  you're  using  your           
           skills    to    ask    for    something,           
                                                              
           ...i'd  ask  for  a   handful  of  bugs?           
                                                              
           code    has   bugs,    lots    of    it.